Point of View
To kick this section off, let's start with some ice cream. No better way to celebrate something, right? Here's our writing prompt: Write a sentence or two about a girl and her father liking ice cream. OK, if you've written one, go ahead and look at my examples below.
1. My dad and I love ice cream!
2. You and your father love the taste of ice cream!
3. Katie loved ice cream, and her father said he did, too, but she wasn't sure.
4. Katie loved ice cream, but her father only pretended to because he wanted to spend time with her.
Now, decide which one your sentence was most like.
If your sentence was most like the first one:
Congratulations! You wrote in first person! Some good books written in first person are Rick Riordan's First Percy Jackson Book, The Lightning Thief, The Thing About Leftovers, and Prom and Prejudice. First person uses words such as I, we, or us. First person is a terrific way to write because you can really tap into your character's emotions and thoughts. Though writing in first person is great, make sure to check out other points of views!
If your sentence was most like the second one:
Yay! You've written it in second person! (This blog is also written in second person.) If you want to learn some great strengths of writing in second person, read the helpful post here. Second person is talking to the reader, often saying you. But don't stop here! Check out this list of Popular Books Written in Second Person, and remember to try writing in other points of views. We're all here to grow as authors!
If your sentence was most like the third one:
Hip, hip, hooray! You've written a wonderful style called third person limited. Third person limited is like first person as it explores the character's thoughts and feelings, but uses the character's name instead of I. Some great books written in third person are The Giver and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone(and the rest of the Harry Potter series). Don't limit yourself! Try ALL the points of view.
If your sentence was most like the fourth one:
Let's go! You write in a style called third person omniscient. Third person omniscient is like third person limited, but you can hear multiple peoples' insights. Here is a terrific post with some really wonderful insights on writing in this style. Some sensational books written in this point of view are The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Last Holiday Concert by Andrew Cements, and Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad by Ellen Levine. If you really like tapping into characters' thoughts, try writing in first and third person. Second person may be a tremendous challenge as well.
Imagery and Description
Often, good writing could become great writing by adding just a little more imagery and description. To kick things off, I'll give you two paragraphs. On the second one, I'll rewrite the first paragraph using the imagery and description tactic. Then I'll give you a couple more paragraphs, and you can try rewriting them on your own. Let's get started!
Example Paragraph 1:
Joyce walked into her parents' bedroom. No one was there. She went to the dresser. What secrets lay inside? She reached out to touch it. Suddenly, an alarm sounded behind her!
Example Paragraph 2:
Joyce crept into her parents' coral bedroom. No one was there. She strode purposely to the dark oak dresser. What hidden secrets lay inside? She hesitantly reached out to touch it. Suddenly, an ear-piercing alarm blared behind her!
So much better, right? Let's take a look at why it sounds so much better. I'm going to put all that stupendous imagery and description in bold for you to see.
Example Paragraph 2:
Joyce crept into her parents' coral bedroom. No one was there. She strode purposely to the dark oak dresser. What hidden secrets lay inside? She hesitantly reached out to touch it. Suddenly, an ear-piercing alarm blared behind her!
Get the trick? Just little word choices make great writing go round! Now, try it on your own. Please post your rewritten paragraphs in the comments. It is so much fun to read what you guys write!
1. Will couldn't believe this was happening! He walked up and took his ribbon from the principal. On his way down the steps, he fell flat on his face! The audience laughed.
2. I like popcorn! It is crunchy and buttery. My mom makes it every Sunday night, and I never get sick of it. Now that I have braces and can't have popcorn, I am so sad!
3. Allie did not want to move. She'd be leaving all her friends behind! She cried and was sad for days. Her father didn't like to see Allie so unhappy, but he had taken this job offer. Besides, they'd live in a pretty new house.
Thanks for reading! Have a great day! I'll be back with a How To Improve Writing Elementary School Style Part 2 soon!
